


Schorl, Scourge

by Silver Blues (Andreinightleaf)



Category: Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Rockman.EXE | Mega Man Battle Network
Genre: Angst, Backstory Elements, Close Partnership, Emotional Hurt, Hurt, Illnesses, It is heavy on the angst be warned, Jack is nearly dying with worry, Medical stuff, Other, Rated M mostly for medical themes and heavy angst, Sickness, prompted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 21:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13062606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andreinightleaf/pseuds/Silver%20Blues
Summary: When ElecMan falls heavily ill during a trip, Jack finds himself feeling lost, desperate, and even hopeless, but is willing to go any distance and do his best to save his ailing partner.[Original idea by rukafais on Tumblr; fill for the Mega Man Kink Meme.]





	Schorl, Scourge

**Author's Note:**

> The original idea was lovely, and I really wanted to write it. I absolutely love Elec, you have no idea. At this point, ever since starting writing this back in March, I've developed worlds of headcanons for Elec, Jack, and Ann. I grew really fond of them as a family, and have many other ideas to write with them. However, Ann might not even exist in this fic (or at least yet), since I hadn't played BN6 at the point I started writing it, and knew very little about her. Don't worry, though, she'll exist in the other fics!

   Pain. Malaise. With tremors wracking the Navi’s frame, his breaths left him in alarmingly warm, hoarse, uneven exhales. Droplets of sweat gathered at his forehead, under his hairline, his jaw, covering silvery skin in a thin, humid sheen. The heat swimming in his head had been too much to keep the helmet on; it rested on the bedside table, a little ways from the night black lamp, the latter of which went completely ignored as darkness was the sole desire of his eyes right now. The crimson orbs currently found themselves shut, deep eyelashes fluttering ever so lightly at the restlessness of the electrical impulses within him. It felt as if every single nerve in his body was sending out agony signals, draining his energy slowly, but surely.

   ElecMan was ill.

   Clenching his teeth, Jack fought the urge to kick the wall. It was hard, to feel between gripping the PET within his grasp strongly out of anxiety, and keeping his touch gentle and feather-like because he was deeply concerned about his Navi. Not that Elec would be able to feel him squeezing the device, but… Even this unlikely thought scared him. He wished no further harm to befall his partner, so even placing the Terminal above fluffed pillows eased him somewhat. The sight of the most important person in his life, usually so vigorous and powerful, now lethargic, miserable and sick on his bed… the only thing that could hurt him more was if his mildly spasming form became lifeless. Oh, he didn’t know what he would do with himself if that day ever came.

   Tentatively, he brought one of his hands to tenderly touch the screen with fingertips, even though they couldn’t reach the other, even though he was too dead to the world currently to even sense his efforts. The thunderstorm-coloured sheets with yellow rim within the PET were halfway over him, Elec not even being able to decide if he was freezing or melting, the apparatuses on his back slightly bent to accommodate his position of lying sideways. Arms curled up, his hands were in front of him, seemingly grasping at nothingness, trembling alongside the rest of him. His helmetless features were a sight less than a handful had ever caught a glance of; the longish ebony strands, streaked with bright gold tips, fanning his face and hugging his emblem. His emblem, over his heart… If only lingeringly touching it while providing him love would be enough to cure him…

   There was a faint moan of pain. Not an uncommon sound, especially as of the last twenty four hours or so, but it still managed to garner the Operator’s attention to his companion every time. How much did it hurt? What was the difference between human viruses and contractible cyber viruses? He could be in immense agony right now, more than Jack himself has ever had to deal with in his life, and there was nothing he could do about it but keep an eye on him…

   His downcast gaze hovered to the ceiling, low, yet high enough to house the four bunk beds in the small cabin he currently found himself in. It was a single room, with barely enough space to even tread between the aforementioned furniture, all wood. The mattresses were old, with the exception of the one he currently sat upon—a courtesy of the young man who had helped him. This type of cabin was one he was very familiar with… The mildly cramped, wooden buildings in the yards of older Netopian habitations. They had all been hastily built in case of war; the modest little quarters were a much safer alternative to completely equipped houses during bombing strikes. As soon as the siren sounded, the entire family would hurry outside and into the cabin, waiting for the danger to pass and hoping for the best. This had all happened long ago—however, instead of axing the places down for more garden space, the traditional households kept their old shacks around. Including his own family.

   This wasn’t his shelter, though. The house outside didn’t belong to his ancestors. Still in Netopia, yes, but Netopia was continent-sized, and his home region was in the northwest. Rarely did airports offer straight flights from Electopia to northwest Netopia. Connections were preferable in nearly all ways; the pilots who flew to and from Electopia could focus on the overseas flight, while Netopia could then specialize in nation-wide flights. The routing was better to handle. (Not to mention, the air currents blowing slightly southeast from Sharo made life more difficult. Going straight to the south of Netopia practically ensured there would be no issues pertaining to that along the way.) So that’s what he’d done: fly from the famous high-tech nation to the southern region of his birth country. Ready to take the next plane to the northwest.

   So why was he still here? Didn’t he board the aircraft?

   Tired eyes, blue pools of worry, moved over to his Navi yet again. The exact picture of helplessness, of vulnerability. This illness… it was the reason they were still here. But he didn’t regret his decision. He didn’t reprimand his heart. He did what he had to do. In the third South District airport, near the boarding time…

_Autumn was a good season for air transit. It wasn’t summer, when school and college had their biggest recess time, thus encouraging everyone to travel; nor winter, with the smaller vacations which still attracted others abroad, especially towards ski resorts and mountain adventures, or in the case of locations with harsher snowfall, travel to places with milder climates. And Spring still trumped Fall with voyaging, for it was a prelude to summer. So the corridors weren’t crowded, bustling, noisy—the usual passengers ambled about, focused in their everyday business. The atmosphere was calm, casual; a traditional morning at an airport._

_“It should be close to boarding time now…” Jack mentioned, half to himself, half to his Navi, as he fished for a paper in his handbag and checked over the flight information once more. “Even in such a modern world, guess it’s impossible for there to not be delays in baggage check-ins every now and then, huh? I did want to take a quick look at the souvenir shops, but it’s probably too late now. Can’t risk missing the plane.” Absent-mindedly biting the tip of his tongue in thought, he turned towards the way to the numbered Exits. “There are still shops at the disembarking section back home, though. Many goods are overpriced, yet I am sure the handmade tapestries and honeyed brews aren’t. What do you think, Elec? A trip isn’t a trip unless we add a carpet to our collection, right?”_

_His partner had been strangely unvocal during the entire check-in process, but there had been no time to properly analyze him then. Now that he could focus most of his attention on him… There was no answer. Not even any obvious sign that he had been heard at all. The Navi’s back was bent ever so slightly, as he sat upon his bed, crimson seemingly unseeing despite being open. His breathing was ragged, painfully controlled, deep and even as if it was the only thing he was currently concentrating on. Because of the unusual tone of his skin, others probably couldn’t usually tell when he was healthy or pale, yet_ Jack _could, and the tint on his delicate features was_ ghastly _. Even a stranger would be able to notice something was horribly wrong. This forceful wheezing … could it be…?_

_“Elec!” The cream-blond exclaimed, his heart already hammering in his ears. So focused was the other, that there was not even a jolt from the loud call; only a tremor, a fearful and pained tremor which seemed to have triggered something. “Are you alright?! What is going on?!”_

_The PET was clutched with both hands. Gripping at the dark sheets—his arms were quaking now—, the Navi simply shook his head, his expression twisting into one of agony, and the human was sure, pretty sure, that what parted from silvery lips next was a heave._

_Nobody needed to tell him what to do. A moment later, Jack was sprinting down the airport halls, following signs in a frenzied pace to get to the medical wing. It earned him a few curious looks, but the world was tuned out to him; especially as the sound of his partner vomiting rang through him, his brain, imprinting itself indefinitely, more than his heavy, hurried steps could possibly be heard._

_Tucked in a faraway corner of the building, the nursery was a habitually tranquil area. The Operator could not care less about disrupting the peace by desperately storming in; this was what the medics and nurses were here for. He felt like he’d just ran a marathon, and still he attempted to speak, as the white walls briefly swayed and the room’s occupants looked on in shock. “P-please—! My… m-my Navi…”_

_“Sir, please calm down.” The nearest nurse, clad in pastel green, stepped towards him and placed their hands on his shoulders. Their eyes were firm, yet it only had the mildest effect on him, so frantic he was, so lost. “Panic only worsens the situation. Sit down and breathe, so you may tell us what is going on.”_

_Sitting down? How could he even think about sitting down, when Elec was—the person, upon him not immediately moving, guided him to a seat themselves, a quaintly cushioned armchair. He hadn’t noticed at all how his legs felt about to fall off until his weight balance was transferred to his behind. He was trembling, drained and afraid, and taking in gulps of air as if it was water, and he was being drowned. Perhaps he was; perhaps the slow process of possibly losing his comrade was much like the gradual torture of drowning. Terrified blue eyes sought him again; Elec collapsed over the floor of his own room now, violent tremors wracking his form, and it was hard to tell if he was even still conscious. As it was data in some form, Navis’ regurgitated residues were not as unsightly as humans’, thankfully, but still there were no words for how unsettled he felt at the fact the puddle beside the other had been forcefully expelled through his throat._

_A hand upon his shoulder shook him gently, and he jolted a bit, realizing the nurse hadn’t stopped touching him at all. “Something happened with your Navi?” They asked, tone still neutral and professional, “Tell us about it. We can plug them into our computer and analyze them.”_

_Jack must have looked pathetic; however, it was fair, given it was exactly how he felt. His hands still shook, yet had a firm enough grip that the PET had no danger of falling off, as he showed the screen to the young-looking person beside him. “He’s… I don’t know what’s wrong.” Breathing had done good for him; he could now speak without gasping. “He was relatively normal when we arrived, but then… a-after taking care of the check-ins… he just looked ghastly and got sick. I-I-I don’t know what to do, or—or where this came from—I’m just—” His voice faltered, as he picked up the weakest, suffering moan he’d heard in quite a long time. Thin strands of electricity flickered around his slim form, dim, uncontrolled. There was no hold over him… The agony, the malaise, had claimed him completely…_

_“A Navi with electrical powers, huh?” The nurse hummed, and softly squeezed the man’s shoulder in sympathy. “He really looks exhausted. I wished I had seen him before, when he was healthy, so I could have a good comparison, but no one looking like he is now is even remotely okay in my book. Plug him in to the computer, we will take a look at him.” Closer to another corner, a woman wearing similar garb patted the device next to the CPU, signalizing that it was the designated apparel for plug-in._

_The Operator’s pleading eyes pulled at the first medic’s heartstrings. Never had they seen anyone this desolate, this desperate come to the medical wing of the airport. “Don’t worry, we won’t hurt him. The computer is safe. If any problem comes up, I assure you that our Navis will protect yours with their lives. You can take him back to the PET anytime you want. Is that alright with you?”_

I just want him to be okay _, the northern Netopian repeated, over and over, inside his head. With a weak nod, his shaking hands positioned the black-and-yellow PET properly, so the waves of both cyberspaces would connect and he could transfer Elec over to the medical CPU._

 _With each passing minute, he felt like he aged one more year. His eyes were simultaneously tired and alert, his heartbeats anxious and uneven, and at the same time that all his limbs seemingly weighed a ton, any news on his partner’s current state would make him move speedily and abruptly as if he’d received some kind of shock. He was even wishing for it right now; whenever Elec got overly annoyed or furious at him, he’d get zapped—literally. Either through the PET or when the other was materialized, Jack couldn’t escape receiving a (painful) electric discharge from him. He wondered just how many Navis were out there who punished their Operators’ carelessness and haughtiness as if they were their parents. Elec didn’t just let these things go ignored, no; he had lectures and lightning at hand. In the absence of any teaching figures in the human’s life, he did the job of a parent, a teacher, an older brother, a friend, you name it—his Navi wasn’t just his Navi. He was his partner for life, the light which guided him through the darkest nights, the one who was always there for him, during the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. They could argue and bicker, they could get hurt together, Elec could (and has done, many times) temporarily leave for the Net on his own to have some time for himself, but in the end, they would find themselves right by each other’s side again. Jack would apologize profusely, because staying any amount of hours without his companion was_ painful _, and most of it was always his fault; whereas the Navi would sigh, tentatively request forgiveness as well, for his Operator was the only one who could get him this heated. Because if other people pushed his buttons, the solution was easy; leave them, potentially never see them again. But he would never, ever truly leave Jack, so the stress felt much more overbearing if he couldn’t set him on the right path._

 _He could barely feel the muscles of his face trembling, the tears sliding hotly down his skin. The electrical shock—he wanted to feel it, because it would mean Elec,_ his _Elec, was alright enough to scold him. Was healthy enough to summon sufficient energy for a discharge transcending the PET. But this wouldn’t happen, because he was, b-because he was—_

_Hovering within the computer screen, the Navi had been coaxed into unconsciousness with a faint anesthetic, so it would keep him from feeling the brunt of the pain, at the same time his systems would have too little medication to get in the way of the object of study. No physical parts were missing from him, especially at first glance, but under the analyzer, purple colour could be seen all over within him, shown in the non-realistic screen. A faint outline of his body, and amethyst fog covering the inside of those lines, vaguely, yet in every limb. The medics kept sharing looks, moving over to other devices for research, reference, and Jack wondered how bad this was. Wondered what would happen next. If there was nothing that could be done._

_“Sir, we need to talk.” The male doctor exhaled sharply, leaning heavily back on his chair. The air wasn’t as professional as it could be. That meant they could be looking at something they could not figure out, or fatal. That meant—_

_“Wipe those tears for a bit, your Navi needs your strength.” The first nurse walked over and was physical with him again—perhaps it was to keep him grounded, aware of reality, instead of mulling over the what ifs, ready to have his soul rise alongside his partner’s up to heaven. “You can’t be this desolate when he isn’t even dead yet. Hold onto hope, and it will be the best thing you can ever do.” They did a light, quick massage from his shoulder to his hip, and encouraged him to stand up, move over to the desk. Shaking, wobbling, the blond was_ wobbling _, but still he managed to reach the work space, not without the nurse’s help. He just… he knew he had to get better at this, yet now, he couldn’t. He wasn’t ready. He needed Elec by his side to slowly learn it. As old as he was, he was still pretty much dysfunctional. Still learning, gradually, but surely. And his Navi was the one supporting him through it all._

_Looking so deathly, his mere sight made him nearly sob. However, the medics expected such a reaction, so they reassured beforehand that the patient was still alive. The first nurse kept a grip on his arm, a strong grip, and deep down, he was glad for it. Glad to be held down. “Your name is Jack Electel, correct, mister?” An even tone, fitting for a doctor, yet the man’s stance made it clear the situation was not under control. A single, sluggish nod was his response. “Well… I guess you are not worried about that, but boarding for your flight will be closed off in five minutes. If you run, you can still make it. Do you want to go, or stay here?”_

_“I’m not leaving without Elec.” The Operator’s voice terrified even himself; it sounded hoarse and helpless, a pebble street after rainfall, which alternated between dry and drenched. However, the words themselves were firm, as was his conviction; he would not leave his companion behind, no matter what. The flight be damned. Nothing else held an inkling of importance in comparison._

_Noticing how speech was a little difficult, and the man would hold his ground, the doctor acknowledged his decision. “Right. I shall inform the managers, and have them let the staff at your destination airport know to separate your baggage for you until you go back. Now that this is settled…” Glasses were readjusted, the bridge pressing a little tighter against the skin much like one would pinch the area to discourage distress. “I must offer you our sincerest apologies for not being able to figure out what exactly is wrong with your Navi. We know the general picture; it is a virus, unlikely anything else. It has overtaken him. The great pain, the sickness—they are all result of the malady this virus causes. Yet, we cannot pinpoint its origin, how he could have contracted it, and how to intervene. As much as we have done our utmost to invest our lives in the medical area… we still are not the best in every specification. Each hospital doctor and scientist can study a single subject all their lives, but we cannot be as precise, as airport medics are meant to be more of “jack-of-all-trades”. Have a certain knowledge of everything, and be prepared for emergencies and most aircraft-related problems. We solve the smaller problems, but sometimes, all we can do is keep someone alive until they go to an equipped hospital. With our technology and our learning, a virus of this calibre is not something we can handle. I am really sorry.”_

_Quick on their words, the hands-on nurse was there to keep Jack upright and rooted as they felt him wither inside even further. “It’s not the end though, mister. This isn’t a death sentence for your Navi. We merely recommend going to a competent laboratory instead, because they have reliable technology and capable scientists. They might have just what your partner needs. Regardless, you must never lose hope, because it’s not over until it’s over.” As they said that, a sterile gloved hand caught hold of his chin, and they made the taller man look right at them. “Alright? I understand that it is hard to not worry, but this pessimistic behaviour could be what kills him in the end. Walk with the confidence that he’s still alive and you will save him, not that he’s already dead and there is nothing you can do.” Their words were quite firm, despite the still even medical tone to them. Much like someone giving you a bouquet of flowers with tender verses, but a straight face. Somehow, this was probably what the blond needed. Not a sickly sweet speech, coated in perfumed sugar—a rigid, solid, ‘Get a hold of yourself, your friend’s life is in your hands.’ Just like Elec would have done…_

_“…I understand.” The Operator more or less wheezed, and there was a long pause with just the two humans gazing at each other, before the nurse unhanded him, satisfied with his new resolve—even if the man was still a wreck. This was the cue for the head medic to prepare ElecMan to go back into the PET, and the female helper wrote a short resume of his biological state in a paper to hand over._

_Returned to the homely device, the Navi was gently transferred upon his bed. Still bearing sickly features, but at least, Jack could be relieved that he wasn’t feeling all this pain while conscious. It was a relatively comforting reprieve. “I placed a little more anesthesia into him, so he can rest for longer in this condition before the scientists can hopefully cure him. It probably won’t last more than a day, though, so seek medical help as soon as possible. Also, I do feel like I have to point out: your Navi is tough… Even while not knowing the true nature of this virus, we can tell it is strong, and assumingly, most standard Navis wouldn’t even have survived the first wave. Yours is still going, and can still go a long way. I am actually quite curious to find out how this story unfolds…” Standing up from his chair, the doctor was given the small report by his right-hand nurse, and rummaged in the desk drawers for something—retrieving small chips. “If you discover what this virus really is, and he gets through all of this alive, I would like to know. This might be able to aid others in the future.” Handing him both the paper and the chips personally, “The researchers might get to work quicker with this note. These chips are for your partner, of course; they can alleviate some of the pain, and make it easier for his system’s defenses to work. There is no proof that this malady can’t render the chips’ effects useless, but… we hope they will be of help.”_

_There wasn’t much Jack could say. The attempts of teaching him court manners in his childhood were not entirely fruitful. Indeed, the man lacked the looks, speech and personality of a traditional Netopian household member. At this point, there wasn’t even any family to speak of—only him and Elec. His ancestry would not help them now, in their time of need, so why would he bother? This life was for him and Elec to build from the ground up. “T…thank you. Thank you so much.” He shook, placing both sets of gifts (that’s what he saw them as, really—heaven sent presents) inside his handbag. There was… there was still hope. If he was quick enough, he could still do something. “I don’t know how to… y-you’ve done this for him…”_

_“Just doing our job, sir.” The first nurse helpfully applied, allowing him an encouraging smile. “We don’t need a speech of gratitude. Just go, and do what must be done to nurse him back to health. Feedback afterwards would aid everyone, though, so don’t forget to visit sometime later.”_

_Yes, yes. He should definitely be going—the plane would go ahead without them, but he needed to get to a competent laboratory as soon as possible. It was the only thing in his mind. “I’ll remember…” He muttered, voice still guttural, not specifying what he was exactly referring to, yet a soulful glance towards the room’s occupants, and he was out the door._

_Perhaps he would have started running again, had a young male not caught his attention almost as soon as he turned to the corridor. Sitting on a nearby bench, likely meant for patients as lieu of a waiting room, he looked up at the blond almost immediately, with an analyzing gaze that gave the latter the impression that this person was not actually expecting his turn at the nursery. His perception proved true as soon as he started tentatively walking into the hallway; the man shifted, still looking at him, and a few more steps had him standing upright. They were nearly side by side when the other, chin-length, jet-black waves and curls of hair, spoke. “Excuse me, I couldn’t not… I mean… I couldn’t help overhearing.” His eyes were a metal blade colour, yet not the rigid steel one would expect from such comparison; more like… a mild shade of clouds, which seemed soft, yet had never been touched before for anyone to know for sure. They looked down briefly at the dual-colour PET. “I was nearby as you yelled for your Navi. I understood that it was about him right away.”_

_In any other situation, Jack could have replied with snark, or at least require conciseness from the stranger. This wasn’t just any circumstance, though. He was vulnerable, he was in need, and wasn’t being attacked—for now. If there were any signs of hostility, he would bring out his own fierceness to defend what was dear to him. Instead, his eyebrows furrowed just a little more. He wondered if the gesture had been visible enough, or if his face looked, in fact, melted._

_“Mm—what I mean to say is… I can help. At least I believe I can. You seemed so desperate—I wanted to… do something. If it was anyone like us, I couldn’t do much, but as soon as I knew it was your Navi you were talking to, I just had to follow you here and… listening in really is rude, and I must apologize for such crude behaviour. However… I am well-versed in the workings of the cyberworld.” As he confessed his intentions, he looked up to the taller man again. “I’m not a hired scientist or anything huge like that, yet I don’t think I’m too different from them, except for the fact I am in fact closer to the cyberworld than they are. At least, most traditional researchers…”_

_“Help?” The blond wheezed, yet it sounded more standard than before. Progress enough. He would have explained his inquiry further, but talking more than necessary was not all that comfortable currently._

_A quick nod—the younger was clearly a bit nervous. Likely wasn’t used to approaching strangers, especially vulnerable strangers. “My house is at least halfway between here and the closest large research centre. By the sound of things, the smaller nurseries and human-focused hospitals might not be able to help… even if there are some around here that are closer. I’m not telling you to not go to a Science Laboratory, but please, can I take a look at him in my house first? I promise to not waste your time, and if there is nothing I can do, I’ll ride you to the labs myself.”_

Suspicious _… The word zapped rapidly through his mind, yet faintly, not enough to sound off alarms. Accept the offer of being ridden to a stranger’s house, why not? Not something anyone would teach their children. However, the Electel… at this point, the only thing of true importance he had to lose was Elec. His money, his dignity—nothing else mattered nearly as much. Besides, with his baggage on the plane, which must have already taken off by now, all he had was his hand bag with a few things, his wallet. His PET. Which he would hold on to even if his hands were cut off. This man, besides being smaller, seemed to act too specific to be as shady as criminals usually were—and beings in need had immeasurable strength. Seeing his “wounded animal” state, the other had to know exactly what he was doing. Because if he had to attack with claws and teeth, he would. Nonetheless, his time was running short. “…you’re in an airport. Surely you have travel-related business here.”_

_“Ah, none at all now, actually!” Wavy tresses bounced as he shook his head, “I was just seeing a friend off… he and his family moved, but while his family went ahead first, he decided to stay some time with me before departing himself. He has embarked now, so I no longer have anything to do here. I know just accepting a stranger’s offer like this is… well, dangerous… but… I can’t do anything except swear, on my friend’s life, that I do not intend to harm neither you, nor your Navi…” The older’s helpless features… He was unable to mask his own concern for the duo, and hopefully, that would prove his true intentions. It was easy to tell between faked and genuine emotions, if one would just look closely. Lowering his device, just a tiny bit, Jack took in a heavy sigh, and the dark-haired male took the opportunity to slowly, harmlessly, approach by the side. There was mild tensing from the northerner, yet he wasn’t pushed away, so he took the gesture as permission for him to look. “Can I see him…?” Craning his head, the shorter one glanced into the PET._

_The interiors were nowhere near standard or subpar; whichever was the family’s financial condition, the Operator took care of his Navi’s abode very well. Custom furnishing, tasteful decoration, nice touches and little details. Main colours being various shades of grey and black, and golden-yellow. The subject of interest himself, though… lying gently upon the bed, mostly unconscious, as the doctors had carefully left him. Even then, the underlying pain in his features was clear, the sheen of sweat upon his skin (silver—such a pretty colour on him, and so uncommon in humanoid Navis). The feverish flush upon his cheeks was not as intense as it could be, probably due to the effects of medicine, and also the paleness associated with sickness. An entirely physically unique, powerful-looking Navi; even to the lightning-shaped facial markings, the distinctive helmet, arms, and back apparatuses—despite how ill and pallid he currently looked, he was…_

_“…He is beautiful.” The southern Netopian breathed out, awed. Rarely he ever found more than lightly customized Navis; each individual Navi still had their own personality, quirks, experiences, but most took a while before their Operators would help with their physical appearance. Industry PETs nearly always looked the same, and only had a few standard appearance Navis to choose from. Most humans, naturally, cared more about the PET when buying one than the being in it, or how they looked. Thus, he celebrated each “custom” Navi he met; bearing an entirely unique aspect, which meant the Operators were more likely to be the type of person who respected them as they should be treated; real beings, just like them, and not mere programs. And what a fine specimen, this male was._

_It hadn’t been a loud declaration, but they were so close to one another, and the surroundings were so quiet, that Jack didn’t even strain to hear. Sore blue eyes widened, and flitted to the smaller human, as if making sure that he’d heard right. And it couldn’t have been a mistake, with how the other’s rain orbs were equally enlarged. He looked mesmerized, entranced through the PET screen, and due to these strange circumstances, the older didn’t know how to feel. Flattered, embarrassed? Sure, he did; he was well aware of his Navi’s lovely complexions, how others always hesitated even if for only one second after taking in his features. It was the dazzling kind. The_ electrifying _kind. Yet this was no time to dabble on how gorgeous his partner was, because there would be no beauty if he no longer existed. Jack opened his mouth, and then started when the other seemed to have returned to reality at the same time as he._

 _“M-my apologies! I got entranced for a moment, h-haha…” The cloudy one swallowed nervously, then took one last, long look at ElecMan. “He’s different from the others… I believe he has a good chance. No, he_ has _a good chance. To have knocked him out like this, though, this virus must indeed be quite something—let’s go, if you have accepted my offer, then we should be quick. The sooner we can take care of this, the sooner we can all breathe.” A light pat on the taller’s shoulder—if he were not holding his PET, he could have taken him by the arm instead—, and he started walking in a semi-fast pace down the corridor, towards the main airport chambers._

_There wasn’t much else he could do, was there?_

_The peculiarity of South Netopian traditional architecture was something Jack only passively took in, at the moment. A small, but sturdy thing, the younger man’s scooter rode consistently through the streets and roads, offering view of cliff-hugged seas, town marketplaces, minor historical monuments and locales. Wear of all kinds, mixtures of picturesque buildings and modern, technological features. All in the back of his mind, as he had his arms around the one who’d offered help, driving in front of him. Elec, his PET, were inside an inner pocket in his jacket, below his breast. He was starkly aware of it, the weight against him, the soft pulsing against his chest. Not visible through the protective helmet, the blond closed his eyes, leaned just a little bit more on the driver, as the orb of flames in the sky continued its leisure descent._

_Judging by the other vehicles in the garage, when they arrived, the other didn’t live by himself. Still, seemingly he’d emailed his parents already, as he ushered the guest straight into his room. Even with the hurry, Jack was accustomed enough to his own childhood home to be able to immediately tell that the house was antique. A bit of a contrast to the male’s bedroom—the side wall was a collection of CPUs, monitors, engines, wires and cables, devices of all kinds. As the dark-haired one moved about to get everything set up, he was told to sit on the bed, atop the thick, blue blanket cover. “I don’t mind it; you need rest.”_

_Rest…The Operator left unsaid, that no true rest would be possible until his partner was alright. Checking up on the latter, thankfully, nothing had become horribly grim yet. The other still rested atop his own bed, features as serene as someone in his state could possibly look. Most importantly, he lived; there was the faintest hum around his form, minor shifts signalizing breathing. The anesthesia was doing its work… and if any problem arose, he still had the chips given to him, the pain numbers and possible organism strengthening. If he could, he’d have used up all of the latter already._

_An assortment of mechanical and digital noises sounded from the Southern Netopian’s workplace, as Jack observed his Navi, wondering if physical warmth could do him any good. There were times when the blond would have terrifying nightmares; livid, grotesque plays with fears and traumas. His mother, his brother, his family. Losing Elec. They weren’t common, but whenever they happened, he would enter a panic. To this day he was not quite sure what really made his partner wake up at these times, though he assumed the screams helped a lot. The Navi would materialize by him on the bed, squeeze his arms_ hard _until he stopped seeing shadows and ghosts, and notice his presence. Then, usually wordless, he’d make Jack lie back down, lie with him, and offer his being, his solid companionship. When Elec was vocal, the murmurs were_ “I’m here” _, and_ “It was a nightmare. You’re safe.”

 _And indeed he was so_ solid _, a form the blond would grab along the arms, feel his side, knock against his chest armour. It calmed him down considerably, to have him there. And though both knew that they were kind of bad and awkward with sleeping with anyone in the same ambient as them (except for each other in and outside of the PET, of course), at those moments, the Operator just needed him close, to know that he was not alone. The Navi, meanwhile, knew that the other needed this, and it was the least he could do. No matter if his sleep ended up tiring or half-nonexistent. Jack would be worse without than him with. And it always proved true, with how the blond would drift back to sleep after some time._

_No matter what, whether moving or still or attacking, Elec always exuded some small amount of electric impulses and hums. At a relaxed state, this emission was lowest, yet still present. Having his Navi by his side, or embracing him, made the knowledge very apparent. It was a peculiar feeling; akin to a soft vibration against him. Constantly stimulating, but at such a low frequency… After all the nightmares, all similar events, the muffled electric signals had become a lullaby to him. Resting against Elec unconsciously tranquilized him immediately, and was a near-surebolt way to make him fall asleep. Perhaps small equipment which emitted the same low frequency waves could prove to be better than nothing when sleeping by himself, but…_

_Who would be there to get him down to the earth when he lost himself in deep nightmares, if his partner passed? He hadn’t even realized that he’d been gently, delicately thumbing the PET screen when the young man called him over._

_“Right… I’m all set up. Come here, and I can explain a bit of what I’ll try to do. It’s not extremely different from what I presume the airport nursery did, at least one section of it.” Metal eyes faintly glowed with the reflection of at least three monitors, and he moved a smaller device so it was more obvious to Jack’s view, tapping the top. “Plug in here, and my Navi will take yours carefully to a lying inspection capsule.”_

_The blond knew they’d already come this far, yet still could not help hesitating at the thought of Elec being transferred to an unknown computer, and then handled by another Navi. Once more, he sought any signs of imminent betrayal on those cloud-coloured eyes, relentlessly, and found nothing but expectation and uneasiness. Jack_ could _break all those apparel into scrap if the tides attempted turning, however. The slighter male would have to be sort of mad if he even thought about trying to trick him._

_Standing up—which felt like raising weights—and walking to stop right by the other’s side, the PET was tilted, and in a small monitor materialized the electric Navi. Unlike the screen in the centre, this one’s insides were designed as if it was meant to be a room; several objects and furniture, such as carpets, beanbags and stands, were placed across the place. It honestly looked cozy, and when in from the side came a Navi with magmatic rock tones, they fit in perfectly._

_“Handle him as carefully as you can, Ino.” The man spoke as his Navi crouched to do just that. “No disturbances should occur to him, and he’s electric. You might get hurt yourself.” And suddenly, in a way that nearly startled Jack, he slightly jumped on the wheeled chair. “Oh, my apologies, sir, I never did introduce myself, did I? Mentioning Ino just now, I finally remembered…” He briefly bit his lip, then glanced to the side for a moment. “I’m Cameron. As I’ve told you before, I am pretty connected to the cyberworld… I understand it more than most scientists do, exactly because I’ve accepted from the start that it’s not just data, dictated by coding or programming. The environment and beings inside the cyberworld have developed a biology all their own. Not everything can be explained by technology, not at all.” Returning to the monitors in front of them, he watched as his Navi cradled their sickly guest, carrying him to another location. “And this might as well be an example. Who knows what this really is.”_

_Jack stiffened somewhat, but there wasn’t much more he could do. Trying—he was trying. He accepted help, he was here, looking after his partner. If this didn’t work, onwards they would go, to a SciLab. Being an angel or a miracle-worker was the furthest from the blond’s jobs. This was him almost giving his all. At least… with the lad’s words, he was now more trustful of him. Someone who also knew that data was not all of it. The things he’s observed from Elec,_ in _Elec, their interactions—the materialization. Programming was unable to explain it. As far as he knew, scientists even had absolutely no idea this manifestation in the human plane was possible, nor did any civilians. Well, actually, he assumed Lan, Enzan, Raika, and the others knew_ somehow _, but the point is, even the ones who “created” Navis themselves were not aware of the extents of their potential. The cyberworld’s potential._

_And this young man seemed to realize the same. Once Elec was gently placed upon a lying capsule, the left edge of the screen showcased a body map similar to the one Jack had seen earlier that day, and several other sections of info. The “fog” was still present, and by now, Jack gripped the back of the other’s chair anxiously. Then the third monitor was brought to attention as Cameron shifted to it every now and then; it contained plenty of info on contractible viruses, bugs, among other conditions he wasn’t even sure where to place. Ino also watched closely, golden eyes shining, fingertips reaching out every now and then to feel the pulses on various spots on the other Navi’s body._

_“So none of the easy or common ones.” The dark-haired exhaled, running a hand through black waves. “The one whose description matches his most… he’s lacking an important symptom, so it could hardly be the same thing.” His eyes were restless; they flitted to and from each screen in use, hands and fingers following. “His helmet is removable, huh? That’s a nice bit of information.” He murmured, then; the northern Netopian had no idea if this was small talk meant to distract him, or if the other usually went on about his thoughts as he worked. “Ino can remove all of his gear. Though, he usually keeps them on, as we all know the hassle of changing clothes.”_

_A hum sounded from within the main screen, and the awake Navi nodded half-heartedly, his focus still mainly on the unconscious form before him. “It’s useful for the occasional fashion gig. Navi models for gear types and garment rendering. You get to wear amazing stuff, and receive zenny for your service, too.”_

_Less general and vague data in the monitors; now they specified in the few statuses that mattered. Some names, the blond had never heard before. A low, soft, yet familiar moan was immediately picked up by him as it was emitted; blue eyes quickly widened and before he knew it, Cameron was carefully coaxing his chair back into a more comfortable position, as it had been nearly rammed into the desk with Jack half-crashing forward. “H-he’s okay—” He tried to assure him, slightly nervously, eyeing him._

_The tiniest edge of consciousness, of regained feelings, had caused the sound to escape from Elec’s being. Wordlessly, Ino allowed tiny, tiny bursts of mildly numbing gas into the capsule, so the other’s pain would be lessened once more. That didn’t seem to make their human visitor any more tranquil, however; his eyes were still glued onto his partner, as if the sound of life had brought him back to how the possibility of this being hopeless or gruesome was still very real._

_Mildly uneasy, the cyber-expert nipped his lower lip, typing and browsing in a fast pace with the status and conditions device, on the left. The descriptions were becoming more specific, the ones that didn’t match being removed entirely out of the equation. It really_ was _hard to try to deal with something which possessed no solid info anywhere. And the data detected on the Navi was_ just _vague enough—_

_Metallic eyes widened. “Oh! You said at some point that he got sick, right?” Cameron quickly turned to his human guest, apparently managing to startle him again. Poor man; he was such a bundle of nerves right now. “Is it still there? Can we collect the data?”_

_“I—wh—y—yes, you can collect nearly anything you w-want, just… help him, please.” The blond’s voice became smaller at the last sentence, and he took no time in authorizing Ino into their PET._

_Simultaneously, to Jack, time seemed to drag on, yet also go by in a blink. He’d been requested to sit at the bed again. At least, all of this_ should _result in something, with the amount of research and work the southern Netopian was placing into it; he’d started flitting about his workplace much more vigorously after taking the data sample from within the PET. How much longer would it be, though? Time could be running short; he had no idea. According to the nursery medic, standard Navis could have passed, by now…_

_“And what is your story? How long have you two been together?”_

_The question felt rather abrupt to the anxious Operator, after a while of vocal silence. Only typing, clicking and other digital noises had filled the room until then. A little puzzled, he raised a tired eyebrow._

_Cloud eyes moved back to him briefly as he heard his mattress shift, and Cameron gave an airy shrug, as if wordlessly implying,_ that was the exact question. _“You really are exhausted, aren’t you.” There was a row of chips now at the bottom of the status screen, and they hadn’t been there tens of minutes before. The younger male seemed weary, himself. “It’s just that. How long have you known your Navi? …ElecMan, isn’t it?” It was a nice name; certainly fit the fair warrior’s features and gear. “What is your story together? I don’t get to see custom Navis often, much less ones with Operators who would sacrifice so much for them as you have… I’m intrigued, I’m curious. I want in on the tale which formed this beautiful bond.”_

_A… beautiful bond? Indeed, the blond was quite drained; flights were always tiring, regardless of the reason for travel, the hours spent in the plane, and whether they were national or transcontinental. Add to it the possibility of his drakama dying, mainly, and in smaller extent, being in a stranger’s house and most of his baggage kilometres away from him, and it sounded like some kind of miracle that he was still awake and decently functional. He was trying to forget it all—all but Elec, since little else mattered in comparison to him. Was this what a ‘beautiful bond’ was? Honestly, nobody had told him that before. Aside from a Navi in the Net watching them talking (“These two make a great pair”, they’d said out loud), no comments had ever been directed at their relationship in particular._

_“Our… story together?” Jack mumbled, looking down at his hands, clasped together over his lap. They trembled the slightest bit. Sure, it would be a lie to say he’d never reminisced the older days, the buildup, the first time for everything—but vocally telling them to someone else was something he’d never done. Not that it was a problem… At this point, his filters were all wobbly. He didn’t care what anyone thought of them; he loved his partner so much, and the only opinion about them that really mattered was Elec’s. If others thought the Navi was his babysitter? So be it. If they thought they were dysfunctional? Sure. If they said he was a wreck? Fine. After all, there was no crime in honesty, and honest is what he would be._

_“It was… a small contest, being held in the northwest.” He began, and then took in a deep breath, as if the air contained a mystic substance which would aid him in his inward travel to the past. Everything else was at least half-tuned out. “They were happening all over the continent at that time, but they were all individual from each other. There wasn’t a national championship or anything. The contest prize was—not really getting a Navi, as in, an already formed Navi, yet receive help and data from an expert to create your own Navi. You were supposed to write ‘the most inspiring, touching, and convincing paragraph about why you want a Navi’,” He quoted by heart; the contest phrase was something he’d never forget. “and then the organizers would vote on the best text, and offer the services of the specialist on the spot.”_

_Even while still working, though at a slower pace now, Cameron was invested. The start of this tale was already different from most—people who got store PETs with standard Navis inside. Then again, he wouldn’t have expected such a powerful, elegant being to have started out like that. Not at all._

_Listless blue eyes were hazy with memories. “The requirements for signing up at the contest were not having a Navi, and writing the paragraph by hand. Also other details such as not having an equivalent to a previous criminal record, but anyway—the rules I focused on were the ones that applied to me. I didn’t have a Navi back then. Meanwhile, my brother had just acquired his first… a ‘gift’ from mother.” A frown. “She always talked about how he was able to upkeep the family reputation, while I couldn’t. He had the “pompous” air about him. And she always placed fame and status before everything else. I just—I didn’t want my Navi to be given by mother, but I felt so much envy at the fact that my sibling had someone else he could turn to… And I didn’t.”_

_“I might not look the part, but… I come from a traditional Netopian household, like you. Our family has passed down the same manor for generations. My great-grandfather was one of the pioneers in electricity research in the world—though he was already a bit old by the time he decided to go out there for his studies, instead of stay by the family and the town. He built an attractor and converter device, which sits atop the house to this day; it draws in lightning bolts, and then the electric energy is made usable, or converted into many others. The “Bolt Magnet”, as he and his siblings nicknamed it, was the entire family’s pride and joy. Even if the town’s power went out at some point, we could still have energy, thanks to it and thanks to storms. So the clan themed itself after static, hoping to ride on great-grandfather’s possible prestige. That was the only reason they “liked” electric power.”_

_Hazy cerulean turned misty. “I wanted… I wanted an electric Navi because, I was too drained by the pressure of my family. I wished to break free, even if only in a single way. A silly young dream, maybe. I would not rely on my relatives and the “Bolt Magnet”, for electricity or light, anymore—I would have my own.” His eyes turned to his still collapsed partner, gazing upon the lightning marks on his pale, soft face, the metallic ridges of his back apparatuses, the ideal conduit in the shape of his arms, his fingers. “A source of light of my very own.”_

_It was only after having the impression that he saw a tiny glimmer in the other’s eyes, that Cameron realized he had shifted his focus to the story entirely, and his own hands were trembling some. Slowly, shakily, he exhaled, seeming to have been holding in his breath. No matter how invested he was, he had to keep organizing the data. He had to help them. “I…” He mumbled in the temporary silence, nearly a whisper, before he turned his chair to the desk and started again. “That… contest, then; did you…?”_

_Jack had to breathe in deeply, himself; this felt so much like a legacy being spoken, carried on, right before a passing. He hoped it wasn’t so… by life, he really hoped it wasn’t so… “Y-yes, my text won. I left all my worries about my mother, my brother, aside, and was brought into a lab. It barely felt real. I didn’t even really understand how I had won, or what the other participants had written. I just went in—I would finally have someone to give me strength. The specialist showed me the computer, the tools, the programs, the data, and so much more I couldn’t begin to fathom. They said, place your hand upon this screen device. I did it, no questions asked, even if that was something I had never seen before, and could end up emitting some kind of burning laser. Then they told me to think about my Navi; how I wanted them to be like, why I wanted them. All the things I had written in that text. I thought it all over, described everything in my head. About wishing to have someone to support me. A source of positive energy, of electric energy, that would make me not need to rely on family. Of course, when you think about something not yet within reach, you tend to wish a lot… Children want superheroes, others idealize lovers. Me… I’m only human, and also silly.”_

_“Don’t worry about that, sir. As you can see, Cameron here also had no qualms about crafting me to be a magma hot piece of body.” Ino’s grin was only interrupted by a sudden bout of—at least ten pillows?—falling from the top of the main screen cyberspace and onto him._

_“Shhh, Ino.” The Operator huffed, though he didn’t seem to be at all mad at the statement. His reply was an even wider smile—smirk-like, even—, which made him simply idly bite at his lower lip as his gaze hovered back to their guest. “Apologies for the interruption.”_

_A headshake; the blond was not fazed. “It’s… fine, I think this monologue is becoming too long. I’m even interrupting your work, am I not? That could mean…”_

_“No, not like that!” Cameron gasped, vaguely and exaggeratedly because_ please do not think that. _“I would never just play with your Navi’s life like that. I’m… It’s true, your story was touching enough that my fingers stopped moving at times, but I believe I am nearly done, if not completely done.”_

_The magma-rock-themed Navi pinched the bridge of his nose, stepping lazily on the strewn pillows. Who would have thought that the cause of all of this was by his side, yet it was the other plane who had all the ruckus, with both humans staring at each other so tense and with eyes so wide they could compete with frying pans?_

_“Why didn’t you say—!”_

_“I was going to ask more questions, sorry—!”_

_A low rumble sounded from the status monitor, and they both directed their attention to it, before the dark-haired male shook himself into reality once more and took in a focusing breath. “I know it seems late to be touching upon this, but… I left this one status bit aside for a while, since I thought that, for some strange reason, it could be slowly loading. Ends up, nothing is loading after all—this is the ‘correct’ info we are getting.” He gestured to a certain area in the status screen. Whereas most graphs or grids were static, and yet others only had numerical value changes (internal pressure, pulse rate, and so on), this one had nearly no data; the only immediately visible parameter was ‘Condition: BUG’, and even the text ‘BUG’ was constantly blinking, at times shifting into other characters._

_Before the shorter male could continue, Jack did his part. “That’s not the virus. Elec has had this for a while. It’s harmless; you shouldn’t worry about it.”_

_A pause. The cyber-expert turned to look at the monitor, then back at the man whose Navi he was trying to help. “Harmless?”_

_The blond’s mouth immediately opened to respond, but then closed again, as he stammered inside his mind. With the growing darkness, it wasn’t likely that the faint blush which rose to his cheeks was visible; he’d dealt with this long enough to handle it more maturely at this point. “Y…es, it’s not a disability-causing ‘bug’. We just live with it. It’s not something we need to look at currently, especially when more important things are at hand.”_

_“There doesn’t seem to be any data on this in most databases around. Is this unique to him? Are you sure I should just leave it?” Cameron frowned at his own rapidly-processing thoughts; as much as it would make sense for two rare and unknown elements to be somehow related to each other, there was not proof of even the slightest thread of connection. In his simulator to the side, both conditions existed to their full extents without the other. If only he could have_ any _sort of info about what the ‘bug’ entailed…_

_“As far as I know, yeah, there hasn’t been enough research on it. Most don’t know about it, nor is it a top-priority matter for scientists. Elec’s not the only one—that’s something I can guarantee. However, I have no idea how uncommon or common it is.”_

_At least one scientist had some info on it, fortunately. Lan was not entirely that subtle, and having a world-renowed researcher as father threw some formalities out the window. So one scientist in Electopia, and Jack himself had only asked about it to a single doctor and that was it, so no leads on Netopian knowledge, while he was absolutely sure that Sharon sniper shared nothing of that sort with his superiors, because, heck, even he wouldn’t._

_“Heh, you should let it go for now, Cameron.” The young voice came from the main screen, and the blond bit at his tongue inside his mouth with a little too much force as he observed the tan fingertips softly graze Elec’s lower torso, abdomen, sides. “If this ‘bug’ indeed does something with the virus, I would say it is actually helping fight it.”_

_While their guest became immediately stunned with confusion and half questions, Cameron seemed to nearly hop in his chair as he turned to his Navi. “You mean you—do you know what this is?!”_

_The raised palm facing his way clearly told him to calm down. “To the infortune of your fantasies, no.” And then a small grin upturned his lips, which caused the human to rethink the past minute twice, thrice, mind becoming easily as filled with inquiries. With the Operators currently lost enough to not be able to quickly go back on track by themselves, Ino took the reins by hooking his hands and arms underneath the electrical Navi again, intent on getting the horse to actually walk. “All’s done, then. You should explain the situation to Mr. Electel, while I get this beauty back to his PET.”_

_Back to the PET? Did that mean—there was a way? Or would they just… need to go to a SciLab next?_

_Regardless, Jack fumbled to connect the PET to the monitors’ cyberspace once again, subconsciously taking comfort in the fact his drakama was back home._

_“I” The Net expert started, still staring at the moving form of his own Navi with an unflattering expression, but then he quickly shook his head, huffing a frustrated breath. With a weakened, vulnerable man and his own partner as the awake beings in his room, there wasn’t really a way to win over the latter’s wits. They didn’t have time for that. “Right. Suit yourself, lavahead. Anyway, sir, as he’s mentioned, I’ll give you the details and instructions.” He turned his wheeled chair, then beckoned the other over._

_Even he could feel the way the blond steeled himself for his upcoming words. Cameron not-too-visibly clenched his jaw, and lightly pulled at a few dark strands to obtain distracting pressure enough as he formed and reformed all sentences in his head. It wasn’t like he was going to give out a death sentence, but still, their guest was such a wreck right now that he could not afford saying anything even mildly misleading. There was no doubt that he’d have to do it, though._

_“He’s not going to die.” He blurted out, and as ineloquent as it sounded, it had seemed like a more reassuring way to start it, at first. “Er—I mean, I am no deity or overseer, yet I just…” A deep breath; he was no doctor, trained to give these speeches, but he was going for it anyway. “This virus could indeed kill a normal Navi…” Jack’s heart tightening was responded with a ‘slash’ of his hand across the air, as if telling him to not start panicking when he wasn’t even done. “However… your Navi is strong. He’s certainly stronger than all I’ve personally met, just from the feel of his waves and my analysis of him. I believe he’s going to make it.” And he just had to spit this out, before he hesitated— “The c…catch is, there is nothing I can do about the virus itself, I’m sorry…” His hand was still up in the air, vaguely waving at the northerner’s direction so he wouldn’t be interrupted. “Despite that, your Navi’s defenses are the ones going to take care of it eventually. That’s how it’ll be. He just needs to rest until then. Keep an eye on him, offer support, and of course, don’t even think about NetBattling until he’s healthy again, okay?”_

_“Plus, we’re not leaving you empty-handed.” Ino hummed from the central monitor, already back. A digital screen appeared in front of him, and with a swipe of his hand, the chips gathered in a line at the bottom of the status monitor slid to the one he found himself in, except as flat as the screen he used to summon them with. They weren’t physical chips yet, even in the cyberworld. “As you know, it is extremely draining for one to fight an internal battle such as this, so he will need a ton of energy to get through. All these chips to your left are ‘energy’ chips; I’m sure you have your own methods of “recharging” him, and energy itself is recovered with time, but they probably won’t be enough alone against this kind of assault. Thus, each chip is like a reasonable burst of energy. You should use them twice a day.”_

_“The following chips are more “special” in that I took data samples from ElecMan himself to ingrain into them. It was a precaution I had to take, with how little info we have on this virus, and how widespread it is in all of his systems.” Cameron continued. “Usually, these kinds of medicine don’t need the Navi’s data previously, as they can recognize the difference between their systems and the invaders with most illnesses._ _This virus is all over him, though, so there is a chance the normal chips would have recognized it as the main body instead—and attack him as if he was the foreign data. That’s why I had to make sure this med would know who to help since the beginning.” The thought of such a death was beyond terrifying, so he simply moved on. “So, as hinted previously, these chips will augment the power and stamina of his defense systems, thus helping him fight off the virus. In the end, that’s what will cure him: his own inner defensive abilities. Just like us with colds or flu.”_

_Just like a cold… Truth be told, it sounded mirthlessly amusing. A cold, such a small speckle of dust in comparison, had to be waited out on while resting. And this, this horrible illness which was capable of taking lives, and had so easily knocked out his powerful drakama, was expected to receive the same treatment. Except it wouldn’t be standing through sniffles and headaches; it would be taking the brunt of agonizing pain, exhaustion, and sickness. Of course he would have liked a magical angel pill. Have Elec back to normal immediately. But these sort of perfect miracles did not exist; he had to be thankful he could even work towards any miracle at all._

_Tired fingers tenderly brushed over the edges of the custom PET. Seeing him now, regardless of the persistent paleness—he held more hope. A growing warm feeling, instead of the feebler twinkle of before. Elec’s systems had never given him up to death before; it wouldn’t happen until it happened. Despite how many times he called the Operator “stubborn”, he was the same. There was no easy way he’d just pass away and leave Jack’s mishaps “unscolded”._

_“I…” A deep breath; he tried again, this time genuinely attempting to steel himself into looking like a determined man. “I can’t thank you enough. This… what you’ve done… thank you. You didn’t need to…”_

_“It is no problem at all. Don’t ever think that it was a bother.” Cameron reassured, warmed by the other’s visible effort to stand tall. “To help such kind and passionate Net pairs… I wished that was my job, heh.” His small smile held a cozy sparkle. “I want the future to have only people like you and me… who see the Navis for who they really are.”_

_Taking care of the future, just by being himself? That was the first time he’d ever heard that from a human. Not his mother, not Wily—_

_“I’ll be sure to let Elec know of the ones who helped save him.” This time, it was his turn to try a smile, crooked as it looked with exhaustion etched across his features. He stood up, slowly, wondering if he would be able to be strong for his drakama until he got better. He had to—he would do his best._

_“We are happy to help. But remember, your aid is the decisive one.” After these words, the young cyber-expert’s complexion turned somewhat serious. “He’s fighting his hardest to come back to you. That’s… that’s why he’s surviving.” For a moment, he bit his lip, hard, and before the blond could say anything, “Please save him. You’re the only one who can.”_

_The words hit Jack like lightning. Air stilling around him, his eyes darted to the PET once more, seeking the serene, sickly form of his partner. Fighting… he was fighting for him? Fighting this demon, to be back with him?_

_Elec… he wasn’t alone. He would fight, too._

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has three different parts, and might have two chapters, with this first stretch being the first chapter, and the other two, the second. Most of what is actually requested in the prompt will be in the second part; when Elec is actually healed enough to speak and interact properly, aha. The first part ended up... long. And then there's a third, a bonus. I hope I can get them all out soon.
> 
> I did notice that, most of this part ended up being italics because the flashback ended up becoming the biggest thing. I don't know how to deal with it at this point, so, uh, forgive me for now?


End file.
